Month: April 2018

Decor: San Francisco Home Reno Gone Right

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I walk through Pacific Heights every chance I get. Mostly on an early Sunday morning – I climb up and down the hills and walk from one end of the city to the other end through the prestigious neighborhood in my city. Mostly admiring the exterior of every single home perched along the avenues. Not only the style of homes are a great conversation piece while getting a pretty good workout, but they are also an inspiration for anyone needing to escape the norm or planning on renovating their home. For me, I always wonder what the inside looks like, or which designer created their work of art in terms of decor. So you can imagine my excitement when I stumbled upon this article, showcasing the interior of a Pacific Heights home in the city. Check out what I mean:

Travel: Trip Planning In Mind

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In a months time, some schools will be done for the year, and others a few weeks after that. There are graduations to plan for, and summer activities to be decided for families, couples and friends.  Vacation planning is an activity leading to an activity and if planned well, should be a memorable experience for everyone involved. So here’s what I’ve been reading up on. {photo source}

Food: Gluten-Free Poppy Seed Buns

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Always looking for interesting variations to baking – and this gluten-free poppy seed bun recipe is one I am adding to my list of what to prepare while visiting a friend over the course of next week. Gluten-free Poppy Seed Buns Ingredients for 11-15 Poppy Seed Buns Gluten-free yeast dough 300ml rice milk 80g butter 525g gluten-free flour mix (we used this flour mix Mehlmix von Bauckhof) 1 pck active dry yeast 80g fine sugar 1 egg (for the dough; size M/L) 1 egg (for brushing the poppy seed rolls before baking) 1/2 tsp salt Gluten-free poppy seed filling 125g ground poppy seeds 30g polenta/cornmeal 250ml coconut milk (or almond milk, heavy cream or similar) 50g peach jam 40g sugar 1 egg 1 pinch ground vanilla Icing 150g powdered sugar about 3 tbsp water {more}

Travel: Historic Mansions Turned Hotels

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The first time I stayed in a converted mansion into a hotel was in Edinburgh a few years back, and the place, although remodeled, maintained the old charm of the past, even down to the creaky floors and the stained glass windows. Which all felt like I was travelling in time in addition to simply travelling. In light of the topic, I am sharing with you a handful of mansions (believe me there are more) which were converted into hotels –

Lifestyle: No Carb, No Sugar Plan

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April fools day, I began a lifestyle change – in terms of eating better. Meaning, I don’t want to diet, or order a meal plan to follow. I simply decided to cut out carbs and sugar as much as possible from my daily meals. I have to tell you, it is day 9 and I feel pretty determined to go on, even when I am craving sugar like nobody’s business.  I also want to report that I’ve been a little grouchy, call it having withdrawals, but I know in the long run this is going to help me. At least I hope in maintaining a healthy lifestyle. Last night I was craving a fat dessert, and opted to drink two bottles of water instead. Which helped. But today, I decided to make a list of desserts that are good to keep in mind  – for the just in case.  

Cake In Gold For Special Occasions

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The recipe for this amazing golden coconut-raspberry cake is pretty interesting and one I am challenging myself to make – just because. Although it is a wonderful variation for those planning a wedding or a bridal shower: RECIPE Vanilla coconut batter 200g grated coconut 100g coconut flour (you can also substitute it with rice flour) 125g rice flour (white rice flour, if available) 160g butter 200g sugar 6 eggs (size L) 4 tsp organic baking powder 1 tsp ground vanilla (or you can use some vanilla extract) 1 pinch of salt 240ml milk Raspberry Cream Filling 200g raspberry-(vanilla-)jam 400g heavy cream 4 tsp sugar Buttercream Icing 300g butter, soft 500g icing sugar 2 tbsp rose water Edible Decoration edible gold dust (also you need a compatible brush for the gold dust) edible gold leaf (we took 4 pieces) Additional Decoration flowers (roses, eycalyptus, thistels…depending on personal favorites and season) sparklers {For full recipe go here}

Food: Dinner Tonight – Pesto, Asparagus, ricotta, prosciutto pasta on the spicy side

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Love a spicy kick to my meals and this pasta is going to be made for dinner tonight – with a bottle of my favorite chilled white Merlot wine. INGREDIENTS 4 ounces thinly sliced prosciutto 1 pound long cut pasta 1 bunch asparagus, ends trimmed and chopped 1 cup basil pesto, homemade or store bought 1 jalapeño, seeded, if desired, and chopped 3/4 cup whole milk ricotta cheese zest and juice of 1 lemon kosher salt and pepper 1 tablespoon chopped fresh chives grated parmesan, for serving {more}